DOCSLIB.ORG

Part Writing Explained by Function

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Part Writing Explained by Function Part Writing Explained by Harmonic Function Robert T. Kelley If you want to gain confidence in your understanding of tonal music, here is a way to look at tonal harmony that is simpler and more powerful than the traditional Roman-numeral approach. Identifying the root and quality of a chord is still an important part of analysis. In this introduction, however, we shall discover the power of thinking of chords as collections of scale degree numbers or do-re-mi solfege syllables related to the tonic. Each scale degree tends to behave in different ways depending on the type of chord in which it appears. We shall identify these behaviors using classifications called scale-degree functions. Harmonic Functions A scale-degree's behavior changes based on the chord's harmonic function. A harmonic function tells us how a chord behaves as part of the normal syntax of a phrase. All chords may be classified as tonic (T), subdominant (S), or dominant (D). Tonic chords are relatively stable, contain at least scale degree 1 or 3, and tend to be used at the beginning and end of a piece of music. Subdominant chords tend to push forward toward cadence points and frequently contain scale degree 4 or 6. Dominant chords are relatively unstable and contain at least scale degree 5 or 7. Dominants frequently demand resolution to a tonic-function chord, but they can also be used as a tentative point of repose. Note that these chord designations are not chord symbols identifying the scale degree of the chord's root, but rather descriptions of how the chord is acting within a phrase. While a IV chord is a literal subdominant chord, often a composer will instead use a ii6 chord to serve the same purpose, and we can thus label it also as functioning as a Subdominant (S). Since a chord's roman numeral will not necessarily indicate its harmonic function, a method for finding a chord's harmonic function will follow after definitions of the scale-degree functions. Harmonic Syntax: How Phrases Are Built Most musical phrases begin with tonic function, move through one or more subdominant chords, and then feature a cadence, either on the dominant, or using a dominant to resolve back to tonic. A typical phrase will therefore look like this: T ! S ! D (! T ). Any chord change moving in the direction of the arrows is called an authentic progression (AP). Table 1 gives a list of the circumstances under which music may move against the authentic flow of tonality back to the previous function. This is called plagal progression (PP), and whenever it occurs, the analyst should provide the reason using one of the abbreviations in Table 1. Table 1: Cases when plagal progression (PP) is allowed 1. Embellishing chords (passing (p) and neighboring (n) chords and pedal point (ped)) 2. Plagal (PC), deceptive (DC), and half (HC) cadences 1 Scale-Degree Functions Every diatonic scale degree can be used within a chord of any function. The use of some of these scale degrees, however, is restricted. Tables2 and3 and Figure 1 all show, in various formats, the function that each scale degree plays within each type of harmony. Students should study these charts and memorize the function of each scale degree in each harmonic context, since quickly identifying scale-degree functions will be useful for fluency in both part writing and analysis. Table 2: Scale-Degree Functions Listed by Scale-Degree Number and Harmonic Function Scale Degree Tonic Subdominant Dominant 1^ Do Foundation Primary Stabilizer Non-Chord Tone 2^ Re Non-Chord Tone Secondary Stabilizer Primary Stabilizer 3^ Mi/Me Active Tone Chordal Dissonance Sec. Stab./Non-Chord Tone 4^ Fa Non-Chord Tone Foundation Chordal Dissonance 5^ Sol Primary Stabilizer Non-Chord Tone Foundation 6^ La/Le Secondary Stabilizer Active Tone Chordal Dissonance 7^ Ti/Te Chordal Dissonance Non-Chord Tone Active Tone Table 3: Membership of Each Scale-Degree Function Arranged by Harmonic Function New Function Name Tonic Member(s) Subdominant Dominant Other Names Foundation (F) 1^ 4^ 5^ Base (Harrison), Trigger (Quinn) Active Tone (AT) 3^ 6^ 7^ Agent (Harrison), Trigger (Quinn) Primary Stabilizer (PS) 5^ 1^ 2^ Associate (Harrison and Quinn) Secondary Stabilizer (SS) 6^ 2^ 3^ Associate (Quinn) Chordal Dissonance (CD) 7^ 3^ 4,^ 6^ Functional Dissonance (Quinn) Non-Chord Tone (NCT) 2,^ 4^ 5,^ 7^ 1,^ (3)^ Non-Functional Diss. (Quinn) Foundation notes (F) are the central scale degrees of the function. Strong harmonic progres- sions use these notes frequently in the bass line. When writing triads in a four-voice texture, the foundation note of the current function should be doubled under ideal circumstances. Active tones (AT) are the \color notes" that determine whether the music is major or minor. They are also the notes that help propel the music forward to the next function. Consequently, these notes are sensitive and have a specific way of resolving when the next functional category is achieved. Together, foundations and active tones are the core scale degrees of the harmonic function, and are called Harmonic Functional Triggers. Stabilizers combine with the two functional triggers (foundation and active tone) to produce complete triads. The pitch a third above the two functional triggers is the primary stabilizer (PS), and the pitch a third below the triggers is the secondary stabilizer (SS). Most of the time, stabilizers are inert, but sometimes they may also act like dissonances in terms of how they need to be resolved. (See \How to Destabilize a Harmonic Function".) 2 CO NS NC O FU TION NA AL N Y T C R UNDATION R E A FO IG D R AC G N E T E IZ R O L ˆ IV C I 1 E S E B S A T T S ˆ ˆ O 6 3 N E S P T S R A E B I N TONIC M I L O A I ˆ ˆ Z T 4 5 R E R Y D R O H C C H - 2ˆ 7ˆ O N R O D N A E L D C I S N S O S N E A A C N N O S S I D CH RY ORD MA AL RI D P IZER I IL SS AB O ST N E ˆ A N 1 N S O C R T E D E E ˆ ˆ S I E 6 3 G S C V G S I N I O T R A N C T N A A L SUBDOMINANT O N A S N N ˆ ˆ C N 4 5 N O O E O I I N O T T - C A C C D H N N O U U ˆ ˆ R F O 2 7 D F T R E O Z I L I N B S A T E Y S R A D N O S C E E NC NA N-CHORD O NO TO S NE IS S D S E C 1ˆ S E N S C A T A O N ˆ ˆ 6 3 B N O I D L S I A S Z I R E D Y R L DOMINANT F A ˆ O D ˆ 4 5 U R N O D F H A U C T R N I E O C Z I ˆ ˆ N T L 2 7 I Y I B A O R A C C T N S T A I O V E A E N O T M I L N R T P S R I O G G E N R S A N C E Figure 1: Chart of Scale Degree Functions, based on Quinn's 2005 Chart 3 Chordal dissonances (CD) are notes that clash mildly with the current harmonic function, even though they still form relatively stable chords built in thirds. All chordal dissonances resolve down by step when the music progresses authentically (AP) to the next harmonic function. If the music progresses plagally (PP), then this is not required. Non-chord tones (NCT) cannot coexist with the stable notes in the current function. They must therefore be used only as embellishing tones. Non-chord tones resolve using traditional embellish- ment patterns either before or sometimes right when the next function is achieved. Embellishing melodic patterns include passing tones (PT), neighboring tones (NT), double neighbor figures (DN), appoggiaturas (App), escape tones (ET), anticipations (Ant), suspensions (Sus), and retardations (Ret). How to Determine Harmonic Function Before identifying a pitch's scale-degree function, you must know the harmonic function of the chord to which it belongs. To determine a chord's harmonic function, look at the scale degrees that make up the chord. All of the chord's notes should be foundations (F), active tones (AT), stabilizers (S), or chordal dissonances (CD) of its function. If there is more than one possible harmonic function for which this is true, or if there are non-chord tones in all three possible interpretations of the chord, choose the harmonic function that makes the chord contain its harmonic function's foundation and, if possible, its active tone. For the most commonly seen chords in tonal music, this means that: • I, I6, and iii chords have Tonic (T) function, • ii, IV, ii6, IV6, and all inversions of ii7, and IV7 have Subdominant (S) function, and • V, V6, vii◦6, and all inversions of V7, and vii◦7 have Dominant (D) function. How to Destabilize a Harmonic Function Stabilizers are pitches that combine with foundations (F) and active tones (AT) to form a triad.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Harmonizing Notes Outside the Prevailing Harmony
    Krumbholz, Theory IV Harmonizing Melody Notes Outside the Prevailing Harmony. 1 More than one solution may work with a particular “nonchord” note. Experiment with different harmonizations. Note: several of the chords below may be enharmonically spelled, for ease of reading (for the performer). Use a seventh chord whose root lies a P5 above/below the prevailing harmony: Use a barbershop seventh chord (BS 7) whose root is a m2 below/above the prevailing harmony. Works especially well when the prevailing harmony is a BS 7. Use a BS 7 chord whose root lies a M3 below the prevailing chord: 1 Based on handouts from Burt Szabo and Dave Stevens. Krumbholz, Harmonizing Nonchord tones, p. 2 Use a BS 7 chord that lies a tritone away (“across the clock”) from the prevailing harmony. Use a chord that has the same root as the prevailing harmony • The added 9 th chord, major triads only (I or IV chord only) • The incomplete (or barbershop) 9 th chord; use when the prevailing harmony is a BS 7 chord. • The barbershop (or “substitute”) 6th chord; use when the prevailing harmony is a triad (I or IV chord only). • The barbershop (or “substitute”) 13 th chord; use when the prevailing harmony is a BS 7 chord. Krumbholz, Harmonizing Nonchord tones, p. 3 Use a diminished chord with the same root as the prevailing chord. Works especially well when the prevailing harmony is a BS 7 chord. When a “nonchord tone” falls between two harmonies (such as, say, the last note of a measure), the note will be easier to harmonize if you use the above approaches as applied to the upcoming chord rather than the current one.
    [Show full text]
  • Hummi-Com: Humming-Based Music Composition System
    Hummi-Com: Humming-based Music Composition System Tetsuro Kitahara, Syohei Kimura, Yuu Suzuki, and Tomofumi Suzuki College of Humanities and Science, Nihon University 3-25-40, Sakurajosui, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8550, Japan kitahara@kthrlab.jp ABSTRACT designed from music theory to avoid musically inappropriate In this paper, we propose a composition-by-humming sys- melodies. tem, called Hummi-Com, that automatically corrects musi- cally inappropriate notes. Although various systems with a 2. ISSUES AND KEY CONCEPT composition-by-humming function have been developed, it is Because our system targets musically unskilled people difficult in practice for non-musicians to compose musically such as those who do not play an instrument, we assume appropriate melodies with these systems due to the target that the audio signals hummed by users contain notes with user's insufficient skill at controlling pitch. In this paper, incorrect pitches because such users are expected to have a we propose note correction rules for avoiding such musically relatively low pitch control skill when humming. When such inappropriate outputs. This rule set is designed based on users try to hum an original melody, the following phenom- the idea of searching for a reasonable trade-off between re- ena often occur: moving dissonant nonchord tones and retaining musically acceptable nonchord tones. 1. The boundaries between notes tend to be unclear be- cause the pitch is unstable. Categories and Subject Descriptors 2. The pitch cannot be correctly converted to a discrete note scale because the pitch tends to be ambiguous H.5,5 [Information Interfaces and Interaction]: Sound (e.g., between C and C]).
    [Show full text]
  • 02-11-Nonchordtones.Pdf
    LearnMusicTheory.net 2.11 Nonchord Tones Nonchord tones = notes that aren't part of the chord. Nonchord tones always embellish/decorate chord tones. Keep in mind that many authors use the term "consonance" for a chord tone, and "dissonance" for a nonchord tone. suspension (S) = "delayed step down" passing tone (PT) neighbor tone (NT) 1. Starts as chord tone, then becomes... PTs are approached and NTs are approached and 2. Nonchord tone metrically accented, left by step in the left by step in different 3. ...then resolves down by step same direction. directions. Common types: 7-6, 4-3, 9-8, 2-3 Preparation Suspension Resolution C:IV6 I escape tone (esc.) retardation (R) -"step-leap" 1. Starts as chord tone, then becomes... appoggiatura (app.) -"leap-step" -to escape, you "step to window, 2. Nonchord tone metrically accented leap out" 3. ...then resolves up by step -may be metrically accented or unaccented -may be metrically accented or unaccented "DELAYED STEP UP" -sometimes called "incomplete neighbor tone" -also sometimes called "incomplete Preparation Retardation Resolution neighbor tone" vii°6 I anticipation (ant.) cambiata (c) -- LESS COMMON -approached by leap or step -also called "changing tone" from either direction -connect 2 consonances a 3rd apart -unaccented (i.e. C-A in this example) neighbor group (n gr.) -must be a chord tone in the -only the 2nd note of the pattern is -upper and lower neighbor together next harmony a dissonance -can also be lower neighbor -may or may not be tied into -specific pattern shown below followed by upper neighbor the resolution note -common in 15th and 16th centuries vii°6 I pedal point or pedal tone (bottom C in left hand) from Bach, WTC, Fugue I in C, m.
    [Show full text]
  • Evaluating Prolongation in Extended Tonality
    Evaluating Prolongation in Extended Tonality <http://mod7.shorturl.com/prolongation.htm> Robert T. Kelley Florida State University In this paper I shall offer strategies for deciding what is structural in extended-tonal music and provide new theoretical qualifications that allow for a conservative evaluation of prolongational analyses. Straus (1987) provides several criteria for finding post-tonal prolongation, but these can simply be reduced down to one important consideration: Non-tertian music clouds the distinction between harmonic and melodic intervals. Because linear analysis depends upon this distinction, any expansion of the prolongational approach for non-tertian music must find alternative means for defining the ways in which transient tones elaborate upon structural chord tones to foster a sense of prolongation. The theoretical work that Straus criticizes (Salzer 1952, Travis 1959, 1966, 1970, Morgan 1976, et al.) fails to provide a method for discriminating structural tones from transient tones. More recently, Santa (1999) has provided associational models for hierarchical analysis of some post-tonal music. Further, Santa has devised systems for determining salience as a basis for the assertion of structural chords and melodic pitches in a hierarchical analysis. While a true prolongational perspective cannot be extended to address most post-tonal music, it may be possible to salvage a prolongational approach in a restricted body of post-tonal music that retains some features of tonality, such as harmonic function, parsimonious voice leading, or an underlying diatonic collection. Taking into consideration Straus’s theoretical proviso, we can build a model for prolongational analysis of non-tertian music by establishing how non-tertian chords may attain the status of structural harmonies.
    [Show full text]
  • Diatonic Harmony
    Music Theory for Musicians and Normal People Diatonic Harmony tobyrush.com music theory for musicians and normal people by toby w. rush although a chord is technically any combination of notes Triads played simultaneously, in music theory we usually define chords as the combination of three or more notes. secundal tertial quartal quintal harmony harmony harmony harmony and œ harmony? œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ tertial œ œ œ septal chords built from chords built from chords built from chords built from seconds form thirds (MORE perfect fourths perfect fifths tone clusters, SPECifically, from create a different can be respelled as respectively. harmony, which are not major thirds and sound, used in quartal chords, harmonic so much minor thirds) compositions from and as such they harmony? as timbral. form the basis of the early 1900s do not create a most harmony in and onward. separate system of are the same as as with quintal harmony, these harmony, as with quintal the common harmony. secundal practice period. sextal well, diminished thirds sound is the chord still tertial just like major seconds, and if it is built from diminished augmented thirds sound just thirds or augmented thirds? like perfect fourths, so... no. œ œ the lowest note in the chord & œ let’s get started when the chord is in simple on tertial harmony form is called œ the the & œ with the smallest root. fifth œ chord possible: names of the œ third ? œ when we stack the triad. other notes œ the chord in are based on root thirds within one octave, their interval we get what is called the above the root.
    [Show full text]
  • The Easy Guide to Chord Melody PREVIEW.Pdf
    1 2 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................. 9 Introduction ............................................................................................................................10 How To Use This eBook ........................................................................................................11 eBook Overview .....................................................................................................................12 PART 1 - BUILDING BLOCKS Chapter 1 - Technique Fundamentals ....................................................................... 14 Holding Your Guitar .........................................................................................................16 Plucking Arm and Hand Placement ...............................................................................18 Plucking the Strings .........................................................................................................24 Different Strokes .......................................................................................................27 Walking Finger Exercises ..........................................................................................31 Solid Fingerstyle Tone ...............................................................................................35 String Crossing Exercises ..........................................................................................39 Using the Thumb
    [Show full text]
  • Top 10 Chord Types Commonly Used in Jermaine Griggs Jonathan Powell
    Top 10 Chord Types Commonly Used In ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Gospel Music Jermaine Griggs ​ ​ Jonathan Powell (Edited by Chuku​ ​Onyemachi) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ A Gospel Music Training Center Resource ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ http://gospel.hearandplay.com Join The Gospel Music Training Center & ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Become The Seasoned Gospel Musician You’ve ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Always Dreamed Of! ​ ​ ​ ​ http://gospel.hearandplay.com Rank #10 - Dom13 [sus4] & Dom13 [add9] ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ G dom13 [sus4] chord: ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ G dom13 [add9] chord: ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Chord Analysis ​ ​ The dominant thirteenth suspended fourth (dom13 [sus4]) chord and the dominant thirteenth add nine ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (dom13 [add9]) chord are related. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ They’re basically formed on the fifth tone of the scale; however, they can be transposed to other tones ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ of the scale. ​ ​ ​ ​ The dom13 [sus4] chord can be formed by playing a major seventh chord a whole step below any given ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ note, while the dom13 [add9] chord can be formed by playing a major seventh [flat five] chord a whole ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ step below any given note. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ For example, in the formation of the C dom13 [sus4]: ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ The root (which is C) is played on the left hand: ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ while a maj7 chord
    [Show full text]
  • Enharmonic Paradoxes in Classical, Neoclassical, and Popular Music By
    Enharmonic Paradoxes in Classical, Neoclassical, and Popular Music by Haley Britt Beverburg Reale A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Music: Theory) in The University of Michigan 2011 Doctoral Committee: Associate Professor Ramon Satyendra, Chair Professor Walter T. Everett Professor Kevin E. Korsyn Professor Herbert Graves Winful Associate Professor Wayne C. Petty © Haley Britt Beverburg Reale 2011 Dedication36B To my husband ii Acknowledgements37B I could not have completed this dissertation without the support of numerous people. I would especially like to thank my adviser, Ramon Satyendra, for his encouragement and boundless optimism through the whole process. He never failed to receive my ideas with enthusiasm and give me the confidence to pursue them, and his wide-ranging knowledge and helpful suggestions sparked many bursts of creativity over the past several years. I would also like to thank the other members of my dissertation committee— Kevin Korsyn, Wayne Petty, Walter Everett, and Herbert Winful—for their advice and support. Their expertise in diverse subjects was invaluable to me, and they were always willing and able to answer my many questions. I also had the privilege of working with and being inspired by many other faculty members at the University of Michigan. Special thanks to Karen Fournier for being a sounding board for many of my research ideas and for being a great listener. Additionally, I would like to acknowledge the Rackham School of Graduate Studies, especially Dean Steven M. Whiting, for financial support throughout my time at the University of Michigan. The teaching assistantships, fellowships, and travel grants for presenting at conferences gave me the means to pursue my research.
    [Show full text]
  • A Modular System Generating Jazz-Style Arrangement for a Given Set of a Melody and Its Chord Name Sequence
    Acoust. Sci. & Tech. 29, 1 (2008) #2008 The Acoustical Society of Japan PAPER A modular system generating Jazz-style arrangement for a given set of a melody and its chord name sequence Norio Emura1;Ã, Masanobu Miura2;y and Masuzo Yanagida3;z 1Graduate School of Engineering, Doshisha University, Japan 2Faculty of Science and Technology, Ryukoku University, Japan 3Faculty of Engineering, Doshisha University, Japan ( Received 28 February 2007, Accepted for publication 28 August 2007 ) Abstract: There are many music systems available on the market, such as systems for the automatic arrangement of music pieces given as note sequences for solo pianos into a piano score in a specific style. These systems, however, are usually designed to generate music by concatenation of existing arrangement patterns, so no one can expect that these systems will satisfy user requirements. We propose a system in which a given melody expressed as a note sequence is arranged into a modern Jazz-style score for the piano on the basis of the ‘‘Jazz theory,’’ a theory of harmony used in Jazz and popular music. The performance of the proposed system is evaluated by comparing the results obtained with the proposed system with those obtained using popular arrangement systems available on the market. Experimental results show that arrangement using the proposed system is significantly superior to arrangement using systems available on the market. Keywords: Jazz theory, Chord, Voicing, Piano, Arrangement system PACS number: 43.75.St [doi:10.1250/ast.29.51] meet user requirements. In order to improve this situation, 1. INTRODUCTION a new system with a completely new approach to analyzing There are many systems commercially available for input melodies from the viewpoint of functional harmony, automatic music arrangement such as ‘‘Singer Song Writer as well as with additional music theory in case the output Lite 4.0’’ [1], ‘‘Music Builder’’ [2], and ‘‘Band in a box’’ music is expected to be in a particular popular style, must [3].
    [Show full text]
  • Pitch Perception in Changing Harmony
    PITCH PERCEPTION IN CHANGING HARMONY PITCH PERCEPTION IN CHANGING HARMONY A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music in Music By Cecilia Taher University of Iowa Doctorate of Musical Arts, 2009 May 2012 University of Arkansas UMI Number: 1509241 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent on the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI 1509241 Copyright 2012 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This edition of the work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 48106 - 1346 ABSTRACT The role of harmony in the definition of tonality provides theoretical framework for the hypothesis that harmonic context affects pitch perception. In tonal music, the stability of individual notes depends on the harmonic setting. It seems then reasonable to expect harmonically guided variations in the cognitive representation of tones. With the purpose of enhancing current models of pitch perception, this thesis proposes an empirical investigation of the effects of harmony on pitch sensitivity. In two experiments, nonmusicians performed a same/different discrimination task on two pitches (a reference tone RT and a comparison tone CT) that were embedded in a melody with a clearly implied harmony. Visual cues facilitated the identification of the tones. The main experiment included only stimuli with different harmonic contexts for RT and CT.
    [Show full text]
  • Chords and More Chords
    Chords and More Chords for DGdg Tenor Banjo Mirek Tim Patek This tenth article about the fingerstyle tenor banjo in DGdg tuning will be focused on banjo accompaniment, i.e. on playing chords. The goal is to play basic chord progressions for the favorite songs in various keys (you know, summer campfire season is coming) in the oom-pah-oom-pah fingerstyle manner – with the correct bass note played by thumb and with the pinch of IM fingers. The capo usage will be also reviewed. Finally, the seventh chords will be presented on the Autumn Leaves chord progression in several keys. Basic triads Let’s start with the the chord progressions shown in this YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O14LbX83gU8 There are used the tonic, sub-dominant, and dominant major triads, as well as two minor triads in those major keys suitable for DGdg tuning. There are also the dominant seventh chords, but they will be broadly presented in the latter section. (Please refer to other web sources for the explanation of the terms related to music theory as there is lack of space to cover this here). Apparently, the most suitable keys for open G tuning DGdg are those ones which contain the G chord as one of the harmonic functions emphasized above. The chords are presented in tab and as the chord diagrams, but I cannot resist adding also the music notation. For the oom-pah-oom-pah accompaniment style, the chord voicings on the DGdg banjo are designed with the aim to have always the root and the fifth of the particular chord in the two thickest strings (they are numbered as the 4th string D and the 3rd string G).
    [Show full text]
  • Dominant Voicings Worksheet
    Dominant Voicings Worksheet www.pianogroove.com Root in the melody: My Foolish Heart In the 2nd bar we have a G7 with the root in the melody. - First try just 3rd and 7th - Next add in the 13 - Now let’s test the different alterations – b9, #9, #11 & #5 - When I see a root in the melody I ofte voice the dominant chord with a suspension. Sus chords are basically dominant in nature. - The nice thing with sus voicings is that you can then resolve the suspension and add an alteration. - On final option available to you is the tritone sub. An important relationship to understand is that when you have the root in the melody over a dominant chord. If you play the tritone sub, the root then becomes the #11. - You can also move from the suspended dominant chord to the altered tritone sub. b9 in the melody: You don’t know what Love Is In the 5th bar we have a C7 with the b9 in the melody. - the b9, #9, #11 and #5 are all present in the altered mode. This means that when you have an altered chord, in theory you can substitute or move between these different alterations. - The key point is that if you see a b9 in the chord symbol or melody, chances are that the #9 and #5 will also work well. This also works the other way around too, so if any of these extensions are in the melody of the chord symbol, I’d recommend you experiment to see how the other alterations sound.
    [Show full text]